The UGT union presented a package of eight proposals to the new general director of SEPE, Ricardo Cuesta García, on Wednesday to modernise the agency. The main demand is the hiring of 3,500 staff to address the chronic staff shortage.
UGT took advantage of the introduction of the new general director of the State Public Employment Service (SEPE), Ricardo Cuesta García, to present a series of eight proposals aimed at giving a definitive boost to the agency. The meeting took place on July 8, 2026.
The union has prioritised the hiring of at least 3,500 new staff, mostly from group A2, to tackle the "endemic staff shortage" that SEPE has been facing, which they claim is worsening. This lack of personnel hampers citizen assistance and benefits management.
Internal reorganisation and end of outsourcing
In addition to expanding the workforce, UGT demands that staff from groups C1 and C2 stop performing functions that belong to group A2, a practice they consider an "improper obligation" for their category. The union insists that each worker should perform the tasks assigned to their position.
Another key demand is the approval of the royal decree for the creation of the Employment Agency, as well as a new Relationship of Job Positions (RPT) adapted to the reality of 2026. According to UGT, the current one dates back to the 1990s with only superficial modifications.
In the technological field, the union advocates for personnel from the General Subdirectorate of Information and Communication Technologies (SGTIC), both in central services and provincial directorates, to reduce outsourcing. They argue that applications should be developed and maintained by the "qualified IT personnel" of SEPE itself.
Unified criteria and improved working conditions
UGT has also requested a homogeneous working method for the 52 provincial directorates, so that all operate under the same instructions from central services. They denounce that currently each provincial head interprets the guidelines "to their own convenience", creating inequalities.
Regarding working conditions, the union calls for negotiations on the work calendar to improve staff conditions, as well as a review of the remote work instruction so that it "ceases to be a coercive weapon" used by provincial directorates.
Finally, they demand a review of the merit competition resolution method to make it "more dynamic" and prevent it from dragging on due to recurring problems.
Reception of the new director and next steps
The new general director, Ricardo Cuesta García, stated during the meeting that he has "full knowledge" of the problems existing in SEPE and expressed his willingness to work on their resolution. UGT hopes that these words do not remain "a mere empty promise" and translate into concrete actions.
"We are going to fight to achieve the mentioned proposals, but without your support we are nothing," the union states in a communication directed at the workers. The agency is burdened with an overload of work that affects both the processing times of benefits and the quality of public service.
For SEPE employees, the main consequence of these proposals, if realised, would be an improvement in their working conditions and a reduction in the assistance pressure. Citizens, for their part, would notice greater agility in the management of their procedures and unemployment benefits.
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